Alla Davidova

While rediscovering her Jewish roots, Alla Davidova, the prominent textile artist, famous for her colossal, multi-layered, rich textured, sculptural tapestries drew her inspiration from her old family album.

Born in Leningrad, 1946 Graduated from the Mukhina Art Academy, Leningrad, 1963 Member of the Union of Artists

While rediscovering her Jewish roots, Alla Davidova, the prominent textile artist, famous for her colossal, multi-layered, rich textured, sculptural tapestries drew her inspiration from her old family album. Transferring the photo images of her relatives into textile technique, she turns them into painting-like objects. A nostalgic mood expressed through snapshot poses, turn-of-the century costumes and accessories, has be en mixed with light irony creating her gallery of predecessors in an old fashion way. At the same time, feelings of complexity arise when document-based images from the brink of WWI and the revolution that changed Russia and Jewish life forever present an assimilated Jewish family looking like typical townsfolk—this in itself delivers a powerful historic message. As a teacher at the Arts and Crafts Center run by the St. Petersburg Public Organization of Jewish Veterans of War, Alla Davidova is focused on exploring traditions in Jewish crafts, as well as taking an active role in reviving Jewish life and culture in St. Petersburg today.

The Russian American Cultural Center (RACC) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, est. in 1998.Museum quality exhibitions on Russian avant-garde, contemporary art and photography, collections, archive preservation,research and scholarly publications, a wide range of cultural and literary events, and film festivals enhancing the NY art scene.Support our work: become a RACC member.